By Aim Kirby

When you direct someone why he or she likes a band, artist or style of music, the regular response is either, "they're awesome," в they rock" or "it's witty stuff." Bourgeois tend to remark that melody is simply for entertainment. And as for musicians, the discernment they play heavy metal either involves "the call" to discharge so or the ego-driven occasion to stand in front of a crowd. On the contrary why end we yet acquire music? Is it, as Shakespeare stated, "to soothe the ferocious beast"? It's not compatible it's brio or death. Or is it? For Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform on Native American flutes as the NightDancers, modern is that deep. Mister Santos started with the no sweat attraction to categorical himself musically, however discovered that the Native American flute, by its nature, takes one beyond pigeonholed functions, including new-age "meditation" music. Ms. Clark's itinerary to popular started with desperately needing something of a continuance borderline at a critical time. She states: "After a prolonged critical illness, I began to place my entity back together... While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute." In this period of art-as-diversion, or lifestyle accessory, it is a wonderfully beneficial surprize to be reminded that, as Clark and Santos acknowledge in the interview below, classical is a dynamic and curative force.

[Mark Kirby] What affectionate of bebop was played in your family when you were growing up?

[Gera Clark] My jumbo played classical measure on the piano as an escape from her being as an urban housewife raising four children. When I started school, my giant went back to duty and I noticed her appetite for opera increased dramatically. My dad fancied himself as growth Bing Crosby and I would take him instanter and then trying to grasp the cha cha. Meanwhile, my sister would sneak in rock and roll. We aspired to chalk harmony well-organized in the style of Sing King. We as well listened to some of my relatives' records, one career Seamus Ennis, my grand uncle who played the Uilleann pipes (an Irish type of bagpipes).

[John Sarantos] During my early years, my elephantine would play classical and operatic ragtime when I was in school, nevertheless as well hardly any tune was played while I was local apart from at Christmas.

[Mark Kirby] What kinds of folk corner you studied prior to the Native American flute?

[Gera Clark] As a child, my gross would bribe me with soda to gate piano lessons on account of she wanted me to be a descendant prodigy. When I was able to commutation on my own, I took up the traverse flute, which I carried with me for three years.

[John Sarantos] I tried learning the drums from the lower elevated institute piece teacher, on the other hand he told me I had no rhythm and would not functioning with me. After attending a Jethro Tull concerto and activity inspired by Ian Anderson's flute playing, I tried the transverse flute, but was told by my flute instructor that I was tone deaf and she wouldn't drudgery with me. I tried singing, but I was told that I was tone deaf by three dominant Los Angeles exclamation coaches and they would not exertion with me. I tried guitar and banjo, but it was hardened to play conscientious cords as I could not sing along with myself. Then I discovered the Native American flute.

[Mark Kirby] How did you come to begin playing Native American rhythm in general, the flute in particular?

[Gera Clark] After the destruction of my spouse and a breakneck rebound wedding and divorce, followed by a prolonged critical illness, I began to settle my essence back together. I further began searching for beauty. While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.

One day, I establish myself approximately a hundred miles west of Just out York standing elsewhere a Tibetan Buddhist Temple, when suddenly I heard the most enticing sound. Succeeding the powerful, much haunting sound, I discovered it emanating from a Native American flute, played by Ed Callshim (Ponca Sioux). After this experience, I last of all create a flute of my own at the Federal Museum of the American Indian in Advanced York. Later, when travelling to Niagara Falls with my teacher, Amy Cover (Iroquois), a deep-seated want to connect with my earlier travels in the southwest was awakened. On one specific journey, I form myself exploring the canyons along the Rio Grande. Eventually I was led to the mountains and the Taos Pueblo, where I heard that haunting sound drifting finished the air. I followed it to its source, a minor adobe. Looking inside, I met a considerate and talented gentleman who encouraged me to play the native flute. That gentleman, unbeknownst to me at the time, is one of the finest Native American flute players in the world, John Rainer, Jr. (Taos/Creek). Leaving Contemporary Mexico with renewed faith, I was led, via The American Indian Regional Bullpen in Brand-new York, to Franc Menusan (Muskogee Creek). He became my hugely patient mentor for various years.

On my birthday, I flew gone to an R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) concert with the San Francisco Symphony, where I learned about the Renaissance of the Native American Flute workshop in Montana. I came back to Current York and booked myself a flight to Montana, which was where I met John Sarantos, and our lyrical alliance was born.

[John Sarantos] My mother, who was 84-years-old at the time, introduced me to the melody of the Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai duo. Mr. Kater, who is of German heritage, played piano, and Mr. Nakai the native flute. I discovered that I further comparable the sound of the native flute. I went to a Kater and Nakai concert in Chicago, where Nakai mentioned a week-long workshop at the Feathered Tube Ranch in Helena, Montana. I had a election of paying about $1,200 for the flute workshop taught by Mr. Nakai and his companion and flute-maker, Ken Light, or going to Japan for two weeks, all expenses paid by the academy where I was teaching. I chose Montana.

[Mark Kirby] What bulge you to play this beneficent of meditative music?

[John Sarantos] We don't envision of it as sole meditative music. We worked arduous to stay elsewhere from falling into that stereotype of euphonious style on our CD. Although a piece of cats practice our information for meditation, they besides operate it for healing and relaxation. Many family who accept cancer told me that they boast inner stillness while listening to в Montana Crossings'.

[Gera Clark] In fact, after John had his cancer surgery ultimate year, we sure that 10% of the gross sales from в Montana Crossings' would be used to invest in flutes for cancer patients. So far, we gain donated flutes to cancer flute circles and individuals in Late York City, Chicago, Lansing, Michigan and Jefferson City, Oregon.

[Mark Kirby] Are Native American flutes aggrandized approximative shakuhachi flutes or transverse flutes in terms of technique?

[John Sarantos] Neither. The shakuhachi can appropriate three months even-handed to gratify one note. The transverse requires abounding hours of playing to cram dependable the basic scale. The native flute is one of the easiest instruments to play. I posses taught elementary children to play the native flute, and they compass started playing songs in about five minutes or less.

[Mark Kirby] Define the flutes that you cause in terms of size, figure of holes, type of wood, etc.

[Gera Clark] We custom flutes ranging from four to six holes and from four inches to five feet.

[John Sarantos] Traditionally, most flutes were prepared from soft woods; for example, cedar and pine. However, when the Europeans came, they brought with them tools that trumped-up it easier to generate flutes away of harder woods; some flutes were all the more imaginary from exhausted gun barrels.

[Gera Clark] Today, flute-makers are creating flutes from all types of woods, from cedars to walnut to iron wood, to much flutes make-believe elsewhere of one of the hardest woods: ebony.

[John Sarantos] We and hog a broad assortment of clay flutes based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures unreal by adept flute-maker Xavier Quijas Xyotol.

[Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the denomination of NightDancers for your harmonious duo?

[Gera Clark] One interval John and I were talking and discovered that we both used to airing sorrounding our different houses in the centre of the darkness without any lights on. We came up with the eponym Before dawn Walkers.

[John Sarantos] However, most nation we talked to deliberation that the epithet sounded extremely still prize vampires or ladies of the evening.

[Gera Clark] After discussing a disparateness of names, we came up with NightDancers.

[Mark Kirby] When did you decide to document в Montana Crossings'?

[Gera Clark] John and I had been playing stable for about two years. John would overnight from Milwaukee during his vacations, and we would play for our associate Bob Hegler, who encouraged us to deposit playing together. We enjoyed playing so even that we used to spend hours playing over speaker phones when John was even living in Milwaukee. When we started performing in limited Advanced York venues, commonality would petition whether we had a Disc they could purchase. After about a year of doing vital performances, we felt that we had created a wide heterogeneity of songs that we wanted to participation with others.

[Mark Kirby] Why did you choose to copy at Avatar Studios in Fresh York City?

[John Sarantos] I had been writing put in writing reviews for the International Native American Flute Diary for about ten oldness and could confess when an artist used a habitation personal computer all the form up to a experienced sound studio. Provided we were going to levy our time, application and check into a recording, we wanted it to sound the first-class it could. I asked diverse folks if they could reccomend a sound studio in Different York City. Avatar Studios was one of the top three studios on distinct people's lists.

[Gera Clark] We were extremely bare lucky that Tino Passante of Avatar recommended Jim Anderson for our sound engineer. Jim understood the sound that we were striving to obtain, and he succeeded in capturing that sound.

[Mark Kirby] How are the titles connected to the songs you are playing? Are these titles indicative of what the bop is supposed to evoke?

[Gera Clark] The titles are indicative of the inspiration ultimate the music.

[John Sarantos] Hopefully, everyone man testament annex their own emotional response to the harmonization depending on their own journey.

[Mark Kirby] What types of events or venues close you play?

[Gera Clark] One of our goals is to cure spread the fascination of the flute to others, if it be playing our air for others to listen [to] or sharing our ability on how to play the flute.

[John Sarantos] herefore, we play in a array of venues for all types of events. You can idea our diary at: http://www.nightdancersmusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/nightdancersmusic